Title: Significant wastage of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel head

Authors: George Bibel

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Dakota, Upson II Room 275, 243 Centennial Drive Stop 8359, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201, USA

Abstract: Boric acid, used in pressurised water nuclear reactors, can be very corrosive under some conditions. A 2050 cubic cm corrosion pit was discovered on the Davis-Besse reactor head in 2002. Two engineers were criminally prosecuted for submitting false inspection records to US nuclear regulators.

Keywords: nuclear power; stress corrosion cracking; pressurised water reactors; criminal prosecution; nuclear energy; boric acid; Davis-Besse reactor heads; false inspection records.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFE.2014.059243

International Journal of Forensic Engineering, 2014 Vol.2 No.1, pp.1 - 14

Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

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